Undergraduate Program in Physics

Physics Major or Minor

If you are considering a major or minor in physics, please start with the Physics Majors Handbook. The Physics Majors Handbook is your definitive source of information about the requirements and options for pursuing a bachelor's degree in physics. It includes information about honors degrees and the physics minor. There you will also find checklists of requirements for the various degree tracks. You can also find the checklists here for the Professional track, the Applied track, and the General track.

You can declare a physics major or minor (or just talk to someone about the possibility) by first meeting with the Undergraduate Program Director, available by email at upd@physics.umass.edu.

Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons program)

The iCons curriculum integrates scientific expertise across departments and gives students the opportunity to work on real-world problems from the start of their undergraduate careers. This program - embedded with the physics or other major - will give you collaborative learning experiences, discovery-based projects, leadership development, and multi-disciplinary analytical skills. See the iCons page or ask your advisor for more information.

Advisors

Departmental advisors are charged with helping majors (and potential majors) with program requirements, curriculum scheduling, and career planning. Advisors are assigned for each class year. Feel free to schedule a discussion with them at any time.

Other Opportunities

Undergraduate Physics majors are strongly encouraged to participate in research activities in the Department. A partial list of open research positions, as well as a list of previous research projects, can be found under Undergraduate Student Research. Additionally, teaching assistantships are sometimes available to undergraduates; a partial list of teaching opportunities can be found under Undergraduate Teaching Assistantships. Finally, a number of physics related science clubs and programs may be of interest to majors; these are listed under Related Programs and Organizations in the right sidebar.